HOT SPRINGS -- Frank's Rockette, off at 3-5, passed the 5-2 second-choice Amy's Challenge as they turned for home and held on for a 1 1/4-length victory in the $150,000, 6-furlong American Beauty Stakes on Saturday.
She won the race for fillies and mares 4 years old and up on a muddy track in 1:10.03 before a crowd of 2,150 at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.
Arkansas car dealer Frank Fletcher, owner of Frank's Rockette, considers Oaklawn home, and his connections often defer to his preference to race his horses there.
"This is my home track," Fletcher said. "I couldn't be prouder than I am today."
Frank's Rockette, a 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief trained by Bill Mott, was ridden by Florent Geroux.
"It's great to see her come off the bench like that," Mott said. "What makes it better, Mr. Fletcher was there at his home track. He was there, so that's like winning two [races]."
Geroux, who is Oaklawn's leading jockey with 11 wins through the first five days of racing, also knows the importance of winning at Oaklawn for Fletcher.
"I know he wants to see his horses run," he said. "That's why people are in the game. They're here to see their horses participate, and winning is ever sweeter for them when it's on their home track."
Amy's Challenge, a 6-year-old daughter of Artie Schiller trained by Mac Robertson and ridden by Francisco Arrieta, finished second in the field of six, 2 lengths in front of third-place Wildwood's Beauty. Shesomajestic finished fourth, 4 3/4 lengths behind the winner.
Amy's Challenge led through an opening quarter-mile in 21.47, a length in front of Frank's Rockette in second. Still a length in front, Amy's Challenge led through the half in 44.68. Frank's Rockette had a nose in front at the head of the stretch and opened a narrow margin through the wire.
"I thought [Amy's Challenge] ran really hard," Robertson said. "The [winning] filly got even with her a little quicker than I had hoped, but she still ran hard to the wire."
Geroux said he took nothing for granted in the stretch.
"Amy's Challenge is a tough customer," he said.
As a 3-year-old last season, Frank's Rockette won five of seven starts. She had a run of four consecutive wins -- the final three in graded stakes -- from late May through early October. Her streak was stopped against the best of open company with an 11th-place finish in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint won by Whitmore, the Eclipse Award-winning male sprinter.
Promise showed early for Frank's Rockette, who finished second as a 2-year-old in two Grade I stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Amy's Challenge began her 3-year-old season at Oaklawn in 2018. In her previous three Oaklawn campaigns, she's won three stakes -- all at 5 1/2 to 6 furlongs. She won the 2019 American Beauty and finished fourth in the race last season.
Robertson said he believes this might be Amy's Challenge's final season of racing. He said he liked this start and trusts Amy's Challenge will improve in her next, which might come in the $200,000, 5 1/2-furlong Spring Fever Stakes scheduled for Feb. 27.
"I didn't have her a hundred percent fit, so to get beat a length by that filly, I like the way we're headed in a month for her next stake," Robertson said. "[Frank's Rockette] ran a hell of a race, too. I was proud of my horse. She ran hard. Really, I thought she ran great."